San Francisco City Guides

San Francisco City Guides
Established1978
FounderGladys Hansen
TypeNonprofit
AffiliationsSan Francisco Public Library
Staff3
Volunteers300
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

San Francisco City Guides (SFCG) is a nonprofit organization that offers dozens of different walking tours of San Francisco presented by trained, volunteer guides.[1] Topics range from history and architecture to local legends throughout the city,[2] some of which are seasonal, with May and October being the busiest months for tours.[3][4][5] Tours are free but $20 donations are suggested when reserving online and again at the end of tours. Those donations provide around 80% of the organization's finances.[6][3][1][7] Tours are rain or shine, tend to be less than a mile long and last 1.5 - 2 hours.[8][3][1][9]

History

Beginnings

San Francisco City Guides was founded after frequent requests for a tour of City Hall that were initially given by librarian Gladys Hansen starting in 1976.[10] The tours were in such demand that Hansen trained a few volunteers to give tours of City Hall and the San Francisco Civic Center.[10] In 1978, San Francisco City guides was formed in partnership with San Francisco Public Library.[10]

2000s

In 2004, City Guides collaborated with San Francisco Beautiful and Wilderness Press to celebrate the 20th anniversary of a book written by a City Guide, Adah Bakalinsky, Stairway Walks in San Francisco by offerings six different tours in different neighborhoods chosen by the author to highlight the best of San Francisco’s 400+ stairways.[11][2]

As of 2010, there were around 250 trained guides giving around 60 different tours.[12]

In 2011, National Geographic recommended SF City Guides as one of the best providers of free architecture tours in the United States.[13]

As of 2023, there were around 300 volunteer guides giving around 70 unique tours.[10]

The organization's 2024 Form 990 reported 3 employees and revenue of $485,000.[14]

Guides

Guides often wear red jackets and carry clipboards.[10][15] Guides have to pay a few hundred dollars for a five month training and commit to giving at least ten tours a year.[7][10] According to a 2021 survey, 60% of guides are retired.[7] City Guide volunteers have various backgrounds such as professors, historians and retired executive directors.[7] Audrey Cooper, the former Editor for the San Francisco Chronicle was a guide[8] as was journalist Therese Poletti.[16][17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "A free walking tour of Pacific Heights Mansions". San Francisco Examiner. June 17, 2013. Tours are given by expert volunteers who are passionate about their city and their subject areas and do not accept tips. In fact, the 200 registered guides have actually paid for their own training. The tour company -- in operation since 1978 -- offers more than 100 walks for free, although a donation for the administration back at the office is appreciated. Your guide will be there at the appointed time and place, rain or shine. No reservations are needed unless you're coming with seven or more friends.
  2. 1 2 "San Francisco City Guides to conduct citywide stairway walks". Merced Sun-Star. April 27, 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 Colliver, Victoria (2015-05-18). "City Guides' tours explore minutiae of S.F. neighborhoods". SFGATE. Archived from the original on 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2026-02-10. San Francisco City Guides offers tours year round, but adds about 20 extra tours in May and October. The tours are free, though donations are welcomed at the end to help support the organization. Most tours cover less than a mile but can last up to two hours. No reservations are required.
  4. ↑ Maxwell, Leanne (2009-04-17). "Take a Free Walking Tour Today, This Weekend, Any Day: SFist". SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  5. ↑ "Rob Spoor, Master of Scare-a-monies". KQED. 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  6. ↑ Emam, Hoda (2022-03-21). "As pandemic restrictions wane, donations help free SF walking tours rebound". Local News Matters. Bay City News. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Goldman, Marlene (2025-08-12). "The joy of volunteering at cultural institutions". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  8. 1 2 Hartlaub, Peter (2024-05-09). "New to town? Here's your San Francisco Starter Pack". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  9. ↑ "How It Works - Free Walking Tours". San Francisco City Guides. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zigoris, Julie (2023-09-17). "An Incredible Free Resource Few San Franciscans Know About". sfstandard.com. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  11. ↑ Sullivan, Kathleen (2004-05-21). "Guides head for the hills". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  12. ↑ Nolte, Carl (2010-07-04). "South End, the undiscovered neighborhood". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  13. ↑ "Free U.S. Architecture -- National Geographic". Travel. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  14. ↑ "San Francisco City Guides, Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. August 6, 2025. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  15. ↑ Rubenstein, Steve (2019-08-31). "Step back in history at the Ferry Building, before the days of $5 coffee". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  16. ↑ Allen, Annalee (2009-02-14). "Annalee Allen column: Book tells story of East Bay theater architect". East Bay Times. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  17. ↑ Keeling, Brock (2014-02-28). "40 Fabulous Photos Of Pflueger's San Francisco [Updated]". SFist. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
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